


Building Blocks

by themodernmerlin



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family Fluff, M/M, not a lot of the ships other than otasune at the beginning but i promise there will be more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-29 23:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18303620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themodernmerlin/pseuds/themodernmerlin
Summary: Hal and Dave decide to adopt a baby and break the news to their family.





	Building Blocks

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sunny Side Up](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15247953) by [ultimatebara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultimatebara/pseuds/ultimatebara). 



> Heavily inspired by Sunny Side Up by ultimatebara, so credit where credit is due. This is entirely just because I wanted to indulge myself in more family dynamic stuff between them all.

It’s a quiet night when Hal suggests it, curled up against David’s shoulder as they idly watched the newest Studio Ghibli film, the idea bursting out of him suddenly and abruptly. “We should have a baby.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, Hal flushes and curls up tighter, embarrassed at his own outburst.

David, to his credit, does not overreact, though he does look at his husband in surprise. “What makes you say that?” he asks, gently stroking back Hal’s hair as his partner slowly looked up at David. “I-it was just a thought, but…I’ve realized—I realized I really want a family with you, Dave.” Hal gave his husband a sheepish grin, relaxing a little as he recognizes that he did not upset him. “Maybe I’m just emotional over the movie.”

David sat quietly, thinking on how to phrase his response—at this point Hal knew that long silences weren’t always bad things with Dave. “I’m—I’m not opposed to the idea,” he finally responds, reaching to squeeze his hand tightly. Hal blinks up, slightly surprised himself, “Really? You—I didn’t think you would….” He trails off as David leans in to kiss him softly.

Hal had a nervous tendency to doubt himself when it came to things he wanted, David had gotten used to helping his husband get out of his doubt spirals. “It’d be a change for us, Hal, a big one, we’d have to plan for a lot of stuff—but if there’s anyone I’d want to be a parent alongside, it’d be you.”

Hal smiled gently at that and relaxed back into his husband’s side. “You know, if we get started on the process—we do have to tell our family.”

And so, several weeks later, after a lot of discussion between himself and Hal, planning, finding an adoption agency, David finds himself composing a text to his fathers, uncles and aunts, and brothers.

_To: Adam, John, Ahab, Kaz, Eli, George, Q, Eva_

  
_So, Hal and I wanted to tell you guys that we’re filing paperwork with an adoption agency—we’re going to adopt a baby.-David_

_Adam- Your father and I are overjoyed at the news, David. Call us, if you need any help getting ready._

_Eva- OMG!!!!!!!!!!! You keep me updated on everything, and I’m going to come visit you two as soon as you get the confirmation, ok?_

_Kaz- Congrats kid, you and Hal are going to make great dads_

_Ahab- Invite us to the baby shower, alright?_

_Q- :) <3_

_George- I’m glad I’m not going to be the only parent among the brothers now._

_Eli- Does this mean that I’m going to have to deal with your crying kid whenever you and your nerd husband decide to go on date night?_

_John- Have you texted your grandmother the news? Or called her?_

_Hal’s calling his mom and grandma to tell them the news, don’t worry. And Eli I’m not letting you babysit my kid. -David_

_Eli- Wow, you would deny your own brother time with their niece/nephew or whatever? How rude. Tretij and I are perfectly capable caretakers!_

_Tretij is, but you’re not, Eli -David_

_Eli- You’re the WORST brother_

David rolled his eyes and put away his phone, looking over to see Hal excitedly talking to his mothers over video chat. “I mean it’s still in the very early stages, we just started filing the process to be approved as potential parents—but—” He explains before being cut off by a silver haired, sunglass-wearing woman, “Where are you going to put the nursery in your house?” Strangelove’s tone isn’t pointed, but Dave can still see Hal look slightly distressed.

“We’re converting our second guestroom into the nursery,” David cuts in, leaning on Hal’s shoulder and smiling affectionately, causing his partner to relax slightly. The image on the phone shifts as David sees his grandmother take the camera from her wife. “That sounds like the perfect room for a baby, lots of sunlight, I’m sure your baby will be very happy there.” Joy smiles brightly, leaning over to gently kiss her wife as they both tried to fit in frame.

“Excited to be a great-grandmother?” David teases, making Joy roll her eyes. “Only on technicality, don’t make me kick your butt, kid.” Hal snickers as he looks up at David, kissing him gently. “I love you, babe, but my money’s on her.”

Joy laughed softly at Hal and David, and then kissed her wife’s cheek gently. “Now, we should let you two go, you’ve got a lot of getting ready to do.” They all waved and said their goodbyes as Strangelove hung up the phone.

“Thank god Joy keeps mom from going on her tangents…” Hal sighed softly, putting the phone down on the table and pulling David close to him. “I know she means well, it’s all, it’s all logical things for her to worry about but she just never quite got that—” “That it’s stressful for you to deal with?” David rubs his shoulders gently, as excited as they both were, he could tell that Hal was scared too, scared of messing up—it hadn’t been a rosy childhood for Hal, and the fear of repeating the past lingered for him.

“It’s going to be alright, tomorrow we’re going to go start looking at potential kids…” David reassures Hal, rubbing his side. Hal nodded gently, sighing, “I know it will be—I’ve got you, and we could get through anything together.”

  
The next morning David helped Hal pick out the right shirt for the occasion, kissing him gently, trying to hide his own nervousness. There was little reason to worry, it wasn’t like they were both criminal in the eyes of the law—Hal was a software engineer who worked from home and David was just a retired veteran, like most of his family. This was the same agency that had ultimately helped his brother adopt as well—but still, there was a palpable sense of anxiety that David felt all around him. He must have spaced out, because Hal grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it, leaning in to kiss him softly, “We’re going to be late if you keep daydreaming, Dave.” David just smiled as they headed out to the car together.

The building they walked into when they arrived was full of color, paintings either by children or meant to emulate children hung on the walls contrasting with the drab office architecture that was the hallway. Hal was clutching David’s hand, squeezing gently as they made their way down a side hallway to meet with their caseworker. While they were walking, David stopped in surprise, seeing a white-haired young man carrying paper files down the hallway.

“Jack?”

“Uncle David? Uncle Hal?” The young man smiled, stopping to walk over to them. “Dad told me that you two were going to start the process of adoption I just didn’t realize you guys might come here. Guess that makes sense—I’m really happy for you guys, if you need anything, just call.”

Jack gently balanced the folders he was holding in his hands to one arm in order to give them both a side hug quickly. “I have to go, but um, I’ll definitely put in a good word for you guys!”

“Thanks, Jack.” Hal spoke gently, heading into the office where their social worker was waiting for them. She stood up and shook both their hands before settling down.

“Now we’ve looked at your application as a couple, and I wanted to ask you a few questions before we get started.” She smiled, kindly enough, but David felt tense, and could see how his husband’s face fell slightly. “I just noticed you have military background in your family, and was wondering if you could outline what some of the details are of your service?”

David looked at his hands for a moment, shrugging, “I can’t say much, it was special ops stuff—I left about five years ago, I got treatment for emotional distress, Hal really…really helped me after coming out of that life, as did my family.” Hal reached to hold David’s hand, squeezing gently.

The worker takes note, nodding. “Your brother came through this agency when he adopted his son, correct?”

Hal nodded, this time speaking instead of David. “He did—we ran into Jack in the hallway actually. I didn’t realize he worked here now.” The worker smiles and nods slightly. “He volunteers, says he wants to help out other kids find homes.” David smiles brightly at that, proud of his nephew.

“So, if you two get approved for adoption, and I don’t see why you two won’t, you both have good backgrounds for this—I was wondering if you would be interested in taking more…difficult cases.” The worker began, pulling out some files for Hal and David to start looking at. Hal picks them up and starts reading them silently.

“I know most parents are looking for infants, but we do have several toddlers who need good homes, and some of them have come out of rough situations.” She continues, Hal still reading through the files faster than David could even keep up with him.

Finally, he stops on one profile, a small little photo of a white haired two-year-old girl, a big smile on her face. David looks over and reads her name, Sunny, she’s Russian, and as he scans down further, reading that her mother was in the military and after her father’s death was no longer able to care for her daughter. However, he noticed she wanted to keep in contact, if Sunny’s new parents would allow it—the thought made David’s heart ache for them both.

David remembered when as a child his dads were both deployed every few months, and he and his brothers lived with Kaz and Ahab—he couldn’t imagine how painful it would have been for his dads if they didn’t have that support. Hal looks at his husband, reaching over to hold his hand, seeing how David looked at the little girl.

“I think—I think we would be willing to work with difficult situations, and I think we’d—we would really like to meet Sunny.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Basically Hal was raised mostly by his dad for most of his childhood, which was not a great situation--it wasn't until after he met Dave that he reached out to Strangelove and reconnected with her. 
> 
> Eli and David fight a lot but they still love each other because this time they weren't being pitted against each other in a power struggle outside their control. Now it's just normal brothers being assholes to each other--Eli is just the bigger asshole.


End file.
